The lies our parents tell us
by BenquashaFraser
Summary: Wilson meets a man in the clinic who tells him he had a brother his parents never told him about. Definately AU. Crossover with Dead Poets Society. Sorry this is unlikely to be finished I've no longer got any way of watching the movie.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own 'em. I'm not making any money. :P

This is a cross-over between the film Dead Poets Society and the TV series House MD

* * *

**The lies our parents tell us**

Todd Anderson sits in the waiting room of Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. He is 63 years old and has lived every day of his adult life to its fullest. He is sitting in PPTH waiting to meet Dr. James Wilson, Head of Oncology. No, he doesn't have cancer, merely a bad cold that he hasn't been able to shake. It is making him feel older than he really is. He knows he is waiting to see Dr. Wilson because the nurse told him he will be the Dr's next patient. He knows that Dr. Wilson is Head of Oncology because he heard some people talk about him. A nurse comes up to him and tells him that Dr. Wilson will meet him in exam room 1 now.

Todd walks into the exam room; the doctor has his back to him. There is something oddly familiar about the man. Todd sits down before the doctor turns around and he is soon glad that he did because when Dr. Wilson turns around he finds that breathing has become a difficulty. When the initial shock begins to wear off he whispers hoarsely.

"Neil?" He knows it isn't but he can't help himself. The man in front of him looks so much like the friend he lost so long ago. James Wilson is older than his friend was when he died but younger than he would have been were he alive today. Todd feels the tears start to fall as he is forced to relive the moment he found out that Neil had died. He wipes them away, almost angrily. His breathing is staggered as he keeps holding his breath in an attempt to quash the overwhelming emotions which are threatening to explode. He swallows hard to clear his throat of the lump that has formed there. All the time he is just staring at the man before him.

James Wilson is startled by his patient's reaction to him. He is quite sure that he has never met Mr. Anderson before and yet the man looks as if he has seen a ghost. He reminds himself that if House were to walk in he would never hear the end of it. He knows that Greg will accuse him of moonlighting as a ghost or something equally stupid and would spread the rumour around the whole hospital. He puts a hand on his patient's shoulder in an attempt to bring him back to the present. He is taken aback by the pain in Mr. Anderson's eyes as he begins to talk.

"Why?"

"Why what?" Wilson asks softly.

"I needed you. You made me feel like it was ok to be me." Wilson isn't sure what Mr. Anderson is talking about but he senses that something bad happened in his patient's past and that he reminded the old man of it. He sat next to the weeping man and put an arm around his shoulders to comfort him. Todd Anderson went on. "The Dead Poets Society was a family and you were our spirit. Carpe Diem, Neil. You died because you couldn't bear to face the future your father had planned for you. Part of my soul died with you because it couldn't bear to face any future without you." Wilson feels Mr. Anderson shift to look at him and moves his arm from around the man's shoulders until his hand is gripping his upper arm.

Todd looks at the doctor and for the first time he sees Dr. James Wilson and not his friend, Neil Perry. He sighs and looks at the floor.

"You look just like him Dr. Wilson."

"Who was Neil, Mr. Anderson?"

"Todd. Please call me Todd. My father was Mr Anderson, so was my brother. Neil Perry was my greatest friend. I only knew him for a short while and yet I know I am the man I am today because of him. He was so passionate about life. He truly believed in seizing the day. Neil's father wanted him to become a doctor but Neil only truly felt alive when he acted. He risked everything to show his father his dream. He risked everything so he could seize the day. He risked everything and he lost it all. He committed suicide the Christmas before he turned 18." Todd pulls out a photo and hands it face down to Wilson.

Wilson takes the photo, on the back the words 'Neil with his parents outside Hell-ton 1957' are inscribed. Wilson's eyes are fist drawn to the young man who looks exactly as he did 20 years ago. He had been expecting a mirror image of himself after Todd's reaction so it wasn't that what had him shocked.

"Oh my," is all he can think to say as he stares at a picture of his parents when they were 48 years younger. That's why his parents allowed him not to go to Welton he realises.

"I told you. You look just like him." Wilson looks up at the sound of Todd's voice.

"It's not my resemblance to him that startled me. It's… well… his parents." Wilson shakes his head. He tells himself to get back on task and hands back the photo. "Anyway. Mr. Anderson. Umm… Todd. What brings you to the clinic of PPTH today?"

Todd knows that the doctor isn't going to elaborate as to what about Neil's parents shocked him so he went back to why he had come to the hospital in the forst place. "I've had a bad cold for a few weeks now. At my age the body just doesn't seem to fight illnesses as well as it used to."

"Ok. Well I'll give you a prescription for some anti-biotics. If they don't help come back and see me this time next week. Wilson quickly scribbled down a prescription and handed it to Todd.

The two men parted company. Todd Anderson headed to the local park, where he could sit and think about his friend from so long ago. James Wilson went to his office to phone his parents and ask about the brother he never met.

* * *

Read and Review people. If you want me to continue then review and say so. If you don't want me to continue then don't review. Or review, and tell me that it sucked and not to bother writing any more for it. Majority wins. 


	2. Confronting the Parents

**Disclaimer:** I don't own them… yet evil grin

Thanks for reviewing people. I'm sorry the ending was rushed in the first chapter. House will give Wilson a talking to about making sure he checks his patients over.

* * *

Part 2

James Wilson sat in his office staring at the phone, he wanted to call his parents and ask them why they had never told him about Neil. He supposed it was probably because they didn't know how to bring it up, or maybe they wanted to forget. Either way, neither of them was a good enough excuse, he had the right to know, didn't he? Wilson was so lost in thought that he didn't notice that House was standing in the door way to his office until House spoke.

"Does it dance?" Wilson looked at House in confusion. "Your phone, you've been staring at it for the last 20 minutes. Are you waiting for it to start dancing or something?" Wilson shook his head at House.

"I had a patient in the clinic today." Wilson paused so House continued.

"Really! Wow. I never would have thought that they had patients in the clinic, idiots sure, but not patients! What is the world coming to!" House was grinning now; Wilson should have seen that coming. Wilson looked at him and House blinked at the confusion and sadness in his friend's eyes. Wilson looked down at his hands before speaking.

"He… I… My parents… they lied to me." House raised his eyebrows.

"Well ye. Everyone lies. I could have told you that. Oh! Wait! I already have." Wilson didn't even acknowledge that House had spoken. He just continued.

"Apparently my surname shouldn't even be Wilson. I had a brother, well he died before I was born but his surname was Perry. I had a brother and they never told me, in fact they outright lied. They told me that I was their oldest child. I had a brother." Wilson paused to take a breath. House looked at his friend before asking,

"Have you called your parents and confronted them about it yet or were you going to do that after the phone had danced?" Wilson looked back at House. House saw fear in his eyes but he couldn't understand why. "How about I phone them and ask for Mr. Perry? That should be fun! I wish I had video phone because I bet their faces would be so red!" House chuckled. He desperately wanted to pull James out of the mood he was in; it wasn't any fun making fun of someone if they didn't react. Wilson frowned in thought. He really wanted to know more about his brother and why his parents went so far out of their way to make sure he never found out about him. He nodded and handed House the number.

House hadn't really expected Wilson to agree but he wasn't going to waste an opportunity like this. He dialled the number and put the phone on speaker phone. It rang a few times before Wilson's father answered the phone.

"Wilson residence. Mr. Wilson speaking." House grinned. This man was so formal sounding that House couldn't help but imagine him standing straight as an arrow on the other end of the phone, with no idea as to what was about to hit him.

"Hello Mr. Wilson. I'm looking for Mr. Perry and I was told that this was his number." Wilson grimaced as he heard his father spluttering on the other end of the line. He sounded really angry. Houses' eyes twinkled at him. He could see that House was really enjoying this. Mr. Wilson sounded like he was barely containing his anger and shock.

"What! Is this some kind of joke! There is no-one by the name of Perry in this house! If you ever call again I will call the police." Wilson answered before House had the chance.

"No joke, sir. I had a patient today. Told me I was the spitting image of a friend he had in Welton, a Neil Perry. Showed me a picture of Neil and his parents, imagine my surprise when I saw you and mother standing next to someone who looked just like me 20 years ago. Why didn't you tell me about Neil?" Wilson waited for a reply. House looked at his friend in surprise. They both waited as the man on the other end remained quiet. They heard the phone change hands before Wilson's mother spoke.

"James dear, we didn't mean to lie to you. We just wanted to protect you and your brothers from the horrible reality. Neil was a smart boy. He was one of the best in Welton until that terrible year. He got a new teacher who encouraged him to follow foolish dreams. Neil took what his teacher said to heart and became part of a play behind your father's back. Your father told Neil that he couldn't be in the play because he didn't want it to affect his studies; he was going to go to medical school and be one hell of a doctor. Neil went against your father's wishes and performed in the play anyway. After the play your father told him that he was to be to be withdrawn from Welton and sent to Military school. Neil was devastated as we knew he would be. James you have to believe me, we both truly believed that we were doing what was best for him and that he would get over his disappointment and lead a great life. Neil shot himself with your father's gun that night." There was a long pause on both ends of the phone before Wilson spoke.

"So that's why you didn't send me to Welton. That's why father doesn't own a gun any more." Wilson paused and took a deep breath. "Why the hell did you push me so damn much into becoming a doctor if that's what got your first child killed!" Wilson was getting angry now and House was beginning to worry. This wasn't like James at all. The phone on the other end changed hands again; it sounded like Mrs. Wilson was crying. The next voice to be heard was Mr. Wilson.

"That's enough James! Don't you ever talk to your mother like that again!" Wilson looked at his hands as if bowing his head in obedience. He was visibly shaking now. House was confused by this new side to Wilson. He was angry and yet still had the body language that showed he was going to continue to be the dutiful son. House didn't like where this conversation was going so he decided to end it.

"Mr. Perry, Mr. Wilson, whatever you want to call yourself. James is a full grown man and if you don't want him to get angry at you then stop lying to him and stop treating him like he is still a child under your control. Goodbye sir." House pressed the hang up button before Mr. Wilson could respond. He put a hand on James' shoulder and spoke softly,

"Come on, let's blow this joint." Wilson didn't look up as he grabbed his coat and stood up. He nodded.

"I've just got to see Cuddy and tell her I don't feel well and am going home. You probably don't want to see Cuddy so I'll meet you outside." House shook his head and tapped his cane on the floor.

"Use the phone and call her; it doesn't always bite you know." House walked out of the room and walked to the front doors. He managed to avoid Cuddy on his way out. He was glad about that; he hadn't done any clinic duty for the last two days.

Wilson called Cuddy and told her he was feeling sick. He didn't take sick days unless he had to and so Cuddy didn't call his bluff. He was glad because he really was beginning to feel sick as he wondered what else his parents had lied him to him about. As he walked to the front door to meet Greg he made up his mind that he was going to find out more about his brother and the things he had believed in.

tbc...

* * *

Read and review. please. The more reviews I get the more motivated I am to update.


	3. Meeting the teacher

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Dead Poet's Society or House. Boo Hoo. :'(

Thanx for reviewing ppl. As long as you keep reviewing I'll keep writing.

* * *

**Meeting his brother's family of choice not blood - The parent figure.**

Wilson found himself once again sitting in his office thinking about Neil Perry. He played his mother's words over and over again in his mind; there was something about them that had bugged him. Then it clicked, "We didn't mean to lie to you." That's what she had said to him, they didn't mean to lie. Everything they had ever told him had been a lie. Wilson took a deep breath and pushed the anger back inside himself. Work wasn't the place for him to get angry; he didn't want to take his anger out on one of his patients – they had enough problems to deal with. He looked up Todd Anderson's number from his file and called him.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Todd?"

"Ye. Who's this?"

"It's James Wilson. I met you in the clinic the other day. You told me about Neil Perry and I didn't tell you this then but it turns out Neil was my brother."

"Your brother? How did you find that out?"

"I… well that picture you showed me of Neil… His parents looked like mine would have 40 odd years ago. So I, well actually my friend, called them and they told me that Neil was my brother and that they hadn't meant to lie to me. I guess they're still lying. My mother told me that Neil died because some teacher had put foolish ideas into his head and because Neil had been disappointed when my father had caught Neil going behind his back. I was hoping you could tell me more about my brother. Please?"

"I don't think your mother is still purposefully lying to you. I think that she truly believes that that is really why Neil killed himself. They can't understand what it felt like back then to truly believe that you could choose your own path in life and how free and invincible we felt. Neil didn't think he would be hurting anyone if he performed in the play, he thought everything would work out in the end. Neil was a dreamer. I didn't really know him for very long but if you want I can give you the addresses of Mr. Keating and some of Neil's other friends. They can tell you more about Neil, all I can tell you is what happened in the build up to his death. You need to know more." Wilson took the details from Todd and thanked him before hanging up the phone. Tomorrow was his day off, he's use it to visit Mr. Keating.

* * *

Wilson looked down at the address in his hand, double checking that he was at the right number house. He knocked on the wooden door and waited. It wasn't long before the door opened and a frail old man stood before him. 

"Hello Mr. Keating. My name is James Wilson. I was wondering if you would be willing to tell me about my brother." Mr. Keating stepped aside to let Wilson in.

"Come in James. I take it you are talking about Neil Perry when you say your brother. It's amazing how much like him you look." Wilson nodded before following Mr. Keating to a seating area in his house. When Mr. Keating sat and motioned for Wilson to do the same Wilson sat on the sofa opposite Mr. Keating's armchair. "I don't know what I can tell you about Neil, James. I only knew him for a short time and it was my teaching that eventually killed him. I've heard people disagree with this conclusion but in the end if Neil hadn't had me for a teacher he never would have disobeyed his father and never would have felt the need to kill himself." Wilson wasn't sure how to respond to this. He knew from experience that Mr. Keating didn't need him to argue against what he had just said. It would sound empty and hollow.

"What did Neil believe in, Mr. Keating?

"Living deliberately. Sucking all of the marrow out of life. Carpe Diem! Neil believed in all of these things; he wanted to live before he died. Like I said before though, I didn't know Neil for very long. Perhaps you should be asking Neil's friends about him. His best friends included Todd Anderson, Knox Overstreet, Charlie Dalton, Steven Meeks and Gerard Pitts. There was another one, Richard Cameron but he became regarded as the Judas of the group and may not want to talk to you."

"I've spoken to Todd Anderson. He was the one who told me about Neil after seeing me nearly gave him a heart attack. Thought he'd seen a ghost. Spoke to me for a while as if I was Neil. He struck me as a sensitive guy." Mr. Keating smiled before nodding.

"Yes. Todd always was the sensitive one of the group. Trying to live up to the reputation of a brother he was nothing like and fulfil the expectations of parents who paid no attention to who he really was. Marvellous poet, all I had to teach him was how to believe in his own abilities." Mr. Keating smiled as he remembered his students. "He was a fast learner. They were all amazing boys who had great potential. You should talk to them. I'd imagine that they have a million stories they could tell you about Neil." Wilson studied the man in front of him. His far away gaze told Wilson that his mind was no longer in the present; he was lost in the memories of a time long ago.

"I'll do that sir." Mr. Keating looked at Wilson when he heard his voice. Then he nodded before changing the subject.

"So tell me James, how are your parents?" Wilson suddenly thought that Mr. Keating's carpet was very interesting and studied its swirling pattern for a while before answering.

"They're not called Perry anymore; they changed their name to Wilson. They have 3 sons, including me. For the last 35 years they have called me their eldest son, their first born. For 35 Years they have lied to me and when I confronted them with the truth my mother told me that they hadn't meant to lie to me. When I got angry my father told me I should never talk to my mother like that again but his tone o voice told me I should never talk of the matter again. I guess they learnt from their first mistakes because for my whole life I have played the role of the dutiful son. There are no photos of Neil in our house and his name has never been mentioned again. I have no relatives called Neil and my parents went crazy when I thought about calling my pet kitten Neil. I don't know where the name came from, I just thought that our family needed a Neil in it, kid's intuition I guess." Wilson paused and then looked up at Mr. Keating. He was surprised to see that Mr. Wilson's face was a picture of complete understanding and yet his eyes were filled with what, Wilson thought, looked a lot like pain. Mr. Keating spoke softly as he asked Wilson how much his beliefs were like those of his brother.

"Do you believe in seizing the day James?" Wilson thought about this before replying.

"I've had 3 wives. If that's not seizing the day…" Mr Keating didn't reply he just waited for Wilson to answer his question. Wilson ducked his head and shrugged his shoulders before continuing.

"Ok. Seriously? I work with cancer patients; I spend so much of my time giving news like, 'I'm sorry. Your illness is terminal,' '5 survival rate,' and 'You have 5 months at most.' So to answer your question, yes I do believe in seizing the day because you never know when your last day will be."

"Good I am glad that your parents didn't manage to quash your will to live life. If you'll excuse me now James I am an old man and this has been a very tiring day." Wilson got up and shook Mr. Keating's hand.

"Thank you sir. I'll be leaving now and I'll contact Neil's other friends. Thank you once again for speaking with me." Wilson and Mr. Keating bade each other good bye and Wilson left. He had to speak to House; House would know what his next step should be and how he should go about talking to Neil's friends. House's people skills might leave a lot to be desired but he still understood human nature with an eerie insight. Wilson decided to call by House's place that night to ask his friend's advice.

* * *

Please R&R. Good? Bad? why? tell me... please. 


End file.
